Working with the Word

Focusing the Gospel

Key words and phrases: the works of the Christ, Are you the one who is to come, what you … see

To the point: The Gospel begins with John questioning who Jesus is and concludes with Jesus extolling who John is. What makes John great is that he recognizes in “the works of the Christ” the person and presence of the Messiah—“the one who is to come.” This is exactly our Advent challenge: to see in the goodness around us the works of Jesus and the presence of “the Christ.” Advent calls us to look deeper and then to trust what we see. Whom we discover depends upon what we see.

Connecting the Gospel …

… to the first reading: Isaiah announces that salvation is revealed in such wonders as making the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk. These are exactly the works Jesus does, revealing to John and to us that Jesus is “the Christ,” the Savior.

… to experience: We learn who a person is by observing how that person lives and behaves. We learn who Jesus is by observing how faithful believers live and behave.

MISSION To enable individuals to grow in their faith, deepen their commitment to and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and then be a resource for them as they share that commitment with their parishes, dioceses and the world!